3 Stocks Spiking on Big Volume

Unusual volume can be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst.

WINDERMERE, Fla. ( Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

Chipmos Technologies Bermuda ( IMOS) provides a range of back-end testing services, including engineering testing, wafer probing and final testing of memory and mixed-signal semiconductors. This stock is trading up 7.5% at $11.20 in recent trading.

Today's Volume: 410,000

Average Volume: 142,654

Volume % Change: 392%

From a technical perspective, IMOS is ripping higher here right above some near-term support at $9.93 and back above its 50-day moving average of $11.15 with heavy upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of IMOS within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if IMOS manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at its 200-day moving average of $11.68 and then once it clears more overhead resistance levels at $11.95 to $12.10 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in IMOS as long as it's trending above today's low of $10.25, and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 142,654 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then IMOS will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $12.60 to $14.